Minimally invasive medical techniques are intended to reduce the amount of tissue that is damaged during medical procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort, and harmful side effects. Such minimally invasive techniques may be performed through natural orifices in a patient anatomy or through one or more surgical incisions. Clinicians may insert medical tools through these natural orifices or incisions to reach a target tissue location. Medical tools include instruments such as therapeutic instruments, diagnostic instruments, and surgical instruments. To reach the target tissue location, a minimally invasive medical tool may navigate natural or surgically created passageways in anatomical systems such as the lungs, the colon, the intestines, the kidneys, the heart, the circulatory system, or the like.
Minimally invasive medical procedures may rely upon visualization systems to find a target location and perform various operations. Particularly, a visualization system may help a minimally invasive medical instrument navigate natural or surgically created passageways in anatomical systems to reach the target tissue location. For example, the visualization system may help guide the minimally invasive medical instrument through natural passageways in the lungs, the colon, the intestines, the kidneys, the heart, the circulatory system, or the like. Some minimally invasive medical instruments may be teleoperated or otherwise computer-assisted. In some instances, the visualization system comprises and imaging tool received within an instrument channel or lumen.
During navigation of the medical instrument, or during an operation performed by the medical instrument, the lens of the visualization system may become obstructed or clouded by patient tissue or fluids. Such obstructions can make navigation or operation more difficult, and various methods have been developed to assist the surgeon in clearing the obstructions off the lens. Some types of medical devices include cleaning systems that utilize a cleaning lumen extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the instrument that terminates in a nozzle extending past the distal end of the instrument. The nozzle is configured to deliver cleaning fluid across the lens. In other instances, the surgeon may gently brush the distal end of the instrument across the patient's tissue to wipe off accumulated liquids. However, it can be difficult to keep liquid from pooling between the instrument channel and the tool (e.g., the imaging tool), which enables the pooled liquid to wick back onto the lens. In addition, it can be difficult to effectively and efficiently clean the cleaning lumen and nozzle after completion of the medical procedure.
Thus, it is desirable to provide medical devices, systems, and methods that enable effective and efficient cleaning of visualization systems associated with medical instruments during and after minimally invasive medical procedures. The devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein overcome one or more of the deficiencies of the prior art.